Community Management Glossary

Your comprehensive guide to community management terms, concepts, and metrics.

Content Moderation

Action Templates

Pre-written responses and actions that moderators can quickly apply to common situations, ensuring consistent communication.

Approval Queue

Separate queue for content that requires moderator approval before becoming visible to the community, often used for new users or sensitive topics.

Automod Conditions

Specific rules and triggers set up in automated moderation tools, such as keyword matches, account age requirements, or posting frequency limits.

Automod Rules

Automated moderation rules that filter or flag content based on predefined criteria such as keywords, patterns, or user behavior. These rules help maintain community quality and reduce manual moderation work.

Brigading

Coordinated action by a group of users to manipulate content visibility or harass others, often from external communities.

Bulk Action Tools

Interface features that allow moderators to perform the same action on multiple pieces of content or users simultaneously, saving time during large-scale moderation.

Content Age Gates

Restrictions that limit access to certain content based on user age verification, commonly used for mature or sensitive content.

Filter Chain

A series of content filters applied in sequence to check posts for various types of violations before they appear in the community.

Flame War

Heated argument between users that escalates into personal attacks, requiring moderation intervention.

Hellban

More sophisticated version of shadowban where users can only interact with other hellbanned users.

Karma Farming

Users who post specifically to gain reputation points or similar community metrics, often through manipulation.

Megathread

Consolidated discussion thread created by moderators to prevent topic fragmentation during major events.

Mod Burnout

Mental exhaustion experienced by moderators due to constant exposure to problematic content or difficult users.

Mod Log Exports

Reports and data exports of moderation actions that can be analyzed to track trends and evaluate moderator performance.

Mod Mail

Internal communication system between users and moderators, often used for appeals or reporting issues.

Mod Queue Filters

Customizable filtering options in the moderation queue that help sort and prioritize reported content based on specific criteria like report type or user history.

Necroposting

The practice of replying to very old threads, potentially disrupting community organization. Also known as "thread necromancy".

Ninja Delete

The practice of quickly removing content before most users notice it, often used for obvious spam or severe violations.

Nuking

Mass deletion of content, usually in response to severe rule violations or spam attacks.

Permaban

Permanent ban from the community, usually reserved for the most serious violations. Also known as "perma".

Power User

Highly active community member with special privileges or informal influence. Often assists with community moderation.

Rage Quit

When a user dramatically announces their departure from the community, often requiring specific moderation handling.

Shadow Ban

A moderation action where a user's content is hidden from the community without notifying the user. The user can still post but their content is only visible to themselves.

Shadowban

Informal term for making a user's content invisible to others without notifying them. Also known as "ghost ban" or "stealth ban".

Silent Removal

The practice of removing content without notifying the author, typically used for spam or when notification might escalate a situation.

Sock Puppet

Alternative account used to deceive others, often for trolling or evading bans. Also known as "alt account".

Temporary Ban

A moderation action that temporarily restricts a user's access to the community for a specified period, often used as a warning or cooling-off period for minor violations.

Community Engagement

Active User Rate

The percentage of total community members who participate in meaningful interactions within a specific time period. Calculated as (active users / total users) × 100.

Cheerleader

Member who consistently provides positive feedback and encouragement to others in the community.

Community Rituals

Regular, scheduled activities or events that create shared experiences and strengthen community bonds, such as weekly discussions, monthly challenges, or annual celebrations.

Content Seeding

Strategic creation and placement of initial content to encourage member participation and set the tone for community discussions.

Engagement Loops

Recurring patterns of activity that keep members coming back and participating in the community, often driven by notifications or regular content.

Engagement Triggers

Automated responses to specific member actions or behaviors that encourage further participation, such as achievement notifications or personalized suggestions.

Engagement Velocity

The rate at which community interactions occur over time, used to measure community health and identify trends in participation.

Ninja Post

Post made so quickly after another that it appears almost simultaneously. Often leads to duplicate responses.

Recognition Program

Structured system for acknowledging and rewarding valuable community contributions, often including badges, titles, or special privileges.

Smart Member Matching

Automated system that connects members with similar interests or complementary expertise, fostering valuable relationships and increased engagement.

Smart Notifications

Context-aware automated alerts that notify members of relevant activities, opportunities, or needed actions at optimal times.

Smart Surveys

Automated feedback collection triggered by specific member actions or milestones, gathering insights for community improvement.

Value Exchange

The balance between what members contribute to the community and what they receive in return, crucial for sustainable engagement.

Welcome Automation

Automated sequences that guide new members through their first community experiences, including personalized messages, resource recommendations, and action prompts.

Analytics & Metrics

Churn Rate Analysis

Measurement of the rate at which members become inactive or leave the community, including identification of common churn triggers.

Member Impact Score

Composite metric measuring a member's overall positive influence on community health, including helpful responses, quality content, and positive interactions.

Peer Support Ratio

Measurement of how much support members provide to each other versus requiring official assistance, indicating community self-sufficiency.

Platform Tools

Automation Tools

Software that automates routine community management tasks like welcome messages, notifications, and routine updates.

Community Platform

Software or service that hosts and manages online communities. Includes features for content management, member profiles, discussions, and moderation tools.

Engagement Tools

Features and applications used to encourage and measure member participation, such as polls, surveys, badges, and gamification elements.

Member CRM

System for tracking member interactions, history, and relationship management within the community.

Compliance & Safety

COPPA Compliance

Adherence to Children's Online Privacy Protection Act requirements for communities that may have members under 13 years old.

General Terms

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